Not As Good As MasterChef Junior

Warning: This post is a compilation of random things. Much like life. Enjoy!

A and I used to watch more cooking shows than we do now. I think we've gotten a little tired of them. (C'mon, we've already seen you make durian into something delicious on Chopped!) However, one we can't get enough of lately is MasterChef Junior. Those kids can seriously cook! For one finale, a 12-year-old made whole fish in a salt crust. He made it look so easy, we just had to try it at home. In theory, it is easy. You pack salt together with egg whites on a baking sheet. Put a fish stuffed with herbs on top. Cover it with tons of the salt mixture. Then bake!

The moment of truth is when you crack it open. Our fish was good, but not as amazing as the judges felt the kid's tasted. It was definitely an amusing way to cook fish!

There is a board game called Twilight Struggle which is currently considered one of the best in the world. It's for two players, and each person plays as either the USA or USSR during the Cold War. For the first time ever, I won! And changed history... the USSR took over. Hope you like vodka!

For Valentine's Day, A and I tend to skip eating out and instead cook a fancy dinner ourselves. This year we made scallops, Parmesan risotto, and chocolate souffle. We've cooked scallops a few times, but this time they turned out perfect! (Thank you, Gordon Ramsey for your tutorial!) Just like in a restaurant, which justified our decision to stay in.

This was too amusing not to share... this was the first champagne bottle we've come across without a cork. And with a very amusing graphic to aid you in not shooting your eye out.

Not a Winner, But Top 5

Last week we did not receive the record-breaking snowfall the Northeast has been getting, but it did grab fifth place! We hunkered down on Super Bowl Sunday, A working on research papers and me doing crafts and such. But mostly I watched the snow pile up on our balcony. And keeping piling. And then we stuck a ruler in it periodically because I could swear we gained two inches in an hour (and I was right!). 19.5 inches later and we thought it had stopped... only to gain three more inches two days later! This is the tunnel of snow I've been walking through from the shuttle to the office.

I learned something new this past month: Apparently when it's cold enough, the train track switches are set on fire with controlled propane burns. Looks pretty freaky when you see it just out of the corner of your eye and have no idea what's going on.

For Orion, the snow is a gift. She loves to frolic and run around in it when it's fluffy. And eat it by the gallon. However, she's not a fan when it's up to her stomach (probably because it's cold!). And she doesn't realize how deep the snow is when the sidewalks have been shoveled. She thinks there's just a ridge to jump over, and she ends up almost getting swallowed!

I'll leave you with this awesome sign, lending humor to a warning we see for months (and most ignore... until a big chunk of slush falls on your head). So far, I've only see falling ice, but I guess anything could happen!

From Snow to Sun

I have two good reasons for not posting last week. First, that was a week of late nights at work (including an 11:30PM conference call!). Second, last weekend we traveled to Phoenix for my company's annual holiday trip.

A few weeks ago, we got about an inch and a half of snowfall. Enough for Orion to enjoy running around the dog park while simultaneously scarfing down as much snow as possible. She seems to think she's not supposed to eat the snow, so when we walk towards her, she runs away. It's pretty funny. Even though she's technically a "senior" and somewhere around nine years old, she still outruns every dog at the park.

Yummy...

Phoenix was a welcome break from Chicago winter. It got up to almost 80° both Saturday and Sunday! A had to work that day, so we didn't arrive until later on Friday (many people get in earlier). However, apparently the Gulfstream was "quiet" that day (according to our pilot), and we arrived a full 50 minutes early! Friday night was a cocktail hour, and Saturday evening we all piled onto buses for a ride out to the Yavapai Nation reservation where there is an event space. It was a really fun night, with staff on-hand to show you how to shoot a bow and arrow, help you duel with a partner with a real gun (loaded with blanks), and firepits for s'mores (and huddling when the temperature dropped - it's still the desert!).

Disappointingly, this was the oldest part of "Old Town" Scottsdale. Most of it is newer shopping areas and restaurants. Fun, but not "old."

A found something we had to capture for his fellow Urology residents.

I can pretty much guarantee more pictures of snow this week... we're about 6 inches into what they say could be 12-18" by the time this blizzard is over!